The disclosure concerns a method, a device system and computer program to generate and track printed documents with a unique identifier. Such documents are necessary in a plurality of applications and frequently serve to make a contextual and/or temporal correlation in the framework of a procedure organization. For example, forgery-proof documents are necessary as identification papers (personal identification, passport, driver's license, travel tickets, entrance cards, etc.) for people. Unique documents to be identified or deeds are also necessary in goods traffic, for example in the handling of customs formalities or also in the tracking of shipped goods on their way to the receiver.
In the publication “Das Druckerbuch”, Dr. Gerd Goldmann (editor), Océ Printing Systems GmbH, edition 4a, Poing (May 1999), ISBN 3-00-001019-X, in chapter 14 a production monitoring and control system is specified in which a document production process is planned, supervised and controlled. The system supervises the production of documents and thereby monitors whether the documents are correctly printed and the print goods are correctly processed in the course of the further processing—for example in a cutting device, an enveloping device and/or a device for mailing. Given interferences, the system automatically initiates the reprinting of a replacement document and the separation of the erroneously processed document, such that a continuous process supervision is ensured from the generation of the document in a computer until conclusion of the production processing, for example via the preparation of the document for mailing.
To control and monitor the document production process, in the aforementioned system a plurality of computer-controlling components, what are known as managers, are provided that implement various monitoring or control tasks in the document production process. Operating data of the entire printing or pre- and post-processing processing are recorded in what is known as a systems manager. All information acquired in the execution of the document production job, for example the number, size and parameters of the jobs to be processed, their degree of completion and duration, are thereby established and the device with which the jobs were processed is thereby recorded.
Machine data of the document processing system are recorded with what is known as the device manager. Statistical machine data such as, for example, the device designation, its serial number, version of the control software, etc. are thereby acquired once into a databank. Dynamic machine data that are continuously acquired during the operation of the device, for example current device settings, error notices and capacity data (meter readings, clock speed, etc.), are thereby continuously provided with a corresponding time stamp and likewise recorded in the databank. Using these data, evaluations for individual devices or device groups can then occur and, for example, load reports, error reports or capacity reports can be generated. Such data or reports can then be exported via a user program-specific interface (application program interface, API) into other systems suitable for evaluation.
A further-developed document processing monitoring and supervision system is described in chapter 15 from the sixth edition of the publication “Das Druckerbuch” by Océ Printing Systems GmbH, of May 2001. A corresponding method, device or computer program product to monitor a document production process is known from W0 02/19182 A1.
Likewise, methods and systems are known from U.S. Pat. No. 6,137,967 with which documents are printed, the print product is registered and the entire document production process is monitored and controlled via a computer system.
From WO-A1-00/19278 A1, a printer or copier system is known in which a toner reservoir is provided with a non-contact electronic readable or writable data medium, what is known as a transponder. Dynamic data about the respective toner located in the reservoir can be recorded with the transponder and/or these data can be provided to a control in order to adjust corresponding device parameters.
From DE-A1-100 27 574, it is known to provide a planar web or paper sheet material for recording, printing or the like, whereby two-dimensionally distributed magnetizable particles are provided on the web or on the paper sheet. Magnetic information that can be used to control production processes or the like can then be stored on these particles.
In a publication by Flexchip AG with the title “Transpondertechnik”, dated on 11 Sep. 2000 and available at www.flexchip.de/deutsch/news/frames/transponder.html, it is specified where transponders can be used and how transponder systems function. It is thereby stated that corresponding chips can be integrated into paper and that such electronic markers, what are known as smart labels, can be used as goods delivery bills, as tickets for public transportation, as library cards and as entrance cards.
The aforementioned publications are herewith incorporated by reference into the present specification.